Persona 3: Cosmospheres, AIGIS
by MisakiShishido
Summary: SMT Persona 3 meets Ar Tonelico Melody of Elemia in this story. Of 'Cosmospheres' and stories. Can't put the full summary here, so please read to know what this story is about!
1. Level 1 Pt 1

Summary: Persona 3 meets Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia. The female members of SEES have a place called a 'Cosmosphere', which is located in their minds. How to access that place? Simple, enter a 'Dive Shop' and dive into their 'Cosmosphere'. Anyway, enjoy!

P.S.: First off, Aigis. Never made her pair up with Minato before…

* * *

**Persona 3: Cosmospheres**

_**Aigis's Cosmosphere**_

One day, the SEES went to a newly opened shop at the Paulownia Mall, in there, were many mechanical equipments and big machineries. The shopkeeper looked at them and took her goggles off. She seems to be doing something.

"Why if it isn't my first visitors! Great!" the shopkeeper exclaimed.

She had short red hair and was wearing a weird workers suit. She came from another state or country but surely not Japan. That was what the SEES thought.

"Hey Aurica! Come over here for a sec!" she yelled at a person who was in another room.

"Coming!"

As soon as she came into the main shop, the guys of SEES were amazed by her beauty. Apparently, her name was Aurica and she was quite cute.

"Welcome to the 'Dive Shop'…" Aurica said and bowed, "I'm Aurica Nestmile."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mitsuru Kirijo and these are my subordinates…" Mitsuru said as she pointed towards the SEES, "Anyway," she turned back to Aurica, "What is the purpose of this… 'Dive Shop'…?"

"Well, it's for guys who want to tap into minds of girls… haha," she said, trying to interest the guys, "… But then, the cosmospheres might be a little… um… how to say…"

"Dangerous?" the pink cardigan wearing brunette said, crossing her arms.

"Y-Yes! And well… if you guys want to try… it's fine with me. It's free of charge of first time tryouts… haha," Aurica looked at the short red-haired shopkeeper.

"That's right! Well? Wanna have a go?"

Then a decision was decided by Mitsuru. It was a tough decision but…

"Arisato. Aigis. Both of you. Now," she said strictly.

"?" Aigis just stared blankly at Mitsuru and pointed at herself.

"… Oh. Aigis and I? Sure…" Minato nodded in delight.

"… Then it's settled. Come, you two. Get into these capsules and it's 'diving time'!" exclaimed the shopkeeper.

The rest of the gang then left the shop, thinking it would be quite long. Minato and Aigis were the only two SEES members there. The shop keeper told Aigis an important sentence before closing the lid of his capsule.

"You get to experience a live action story once you get there, alright? The place the both of you will be at is the 'Binary Field'. Keep that in mind."

Aigis didn't understand but she kept what the shopkeeper said in mind as she closed the lid of his capsule.

"Okay! 'Dive' on!"

And it began…

* * *

_Level 1: Love Master (Part 1)_

_Summary of Story: Minato Arisato, an average high school student, meets Aigis who works at a cafe. Destiny plays tricks as Aigis --who in this world, is known as Ai Ishigami-- transforms into The Bringer of Justice__Athena who is also the protector of the world!!_

At the Binary Field which the shopkeeper talked about…

"Minato-san…?"

"Oh there you are, Aigis!" said Minato while going closer to Aigis, "So then… where _are_ we?"

"The… 'Binary Field'… the shopkeeper told me that this is the place to experience a… live-action story."

Aigis then dragged a database menu from mid-air that had story categories listed in it…

"Is that the database menu to create a… live-action story?"

Aigis nodded, "That's correct. There's fantasy, teen drama, and horror..." She then looked at Minato, "Which one would you like?"

"Do you know any more details about them? Since you're a… you know…"

"Sorry, Minato-san but I do not have any other details…" Aigis shook her head.

"Then, please pick whichever one you want. I don't mind," said Minato followed by a sigh.

"I… see, but you might think it's boring..."

Aigis then started checking the database menu with a smile.

"Let's see… I want to try one about common, everyday life... I want to experience how normal people live. I'm a machine… so…"

"That sounds nice. Let's play that kind then," Minato said with a smile.

"Thank you. I'll try to access it with the password the shopkeeper transferred to me. Hmm… This area should be good... okay."

All of a sudden, the background switches to a world...

"So this is the world..." Aigis paused and looked at a tablet of some sort, "Oh, there's writing. Let me read it..."

"First...I have to warn you that this game is not an RPG. This is an adventure with a story. If you play thinking that this is some kind of RPG, you might get hurt. So please be careful. Also, each story is very long. If you start to feel sluggish, please consult your physician. If you feel nausea, headaches or chills during play, please leave the Binary Field at once and return to the real world," explained Aigis.

"Do you still want to do this, Minato-san?"

"Yes, why not? Senpai… 'forced' the both of us so…"

"Okay! This is kind of exciting…!"

Aigis ignored what Minato said and… the Aigis's Cosmosphere story begins…

* * *

……

**She was just a typical girl.**

**She went to school during the day,**

**and worked at a cafe on the weekends. Just a normal girl.**

**But, she also had a secret that she couldn't tell anyone.**

**Yes, a big secret...**

**She was the Bringer of Justice Athena, defender of peace.**

**And also, destroyer of evil Shadows.**

……

**Inside a dirty room...**

**A blue-haired teenager was sleeping in bed. **

"…"

"……"

"Ha!" He got up, " I was...dreaming... but… That was a strange dream. Something about a Binary Field...? I'm starting to forget it already," he said to himself.

**After a while, he got out of bed and opened the window curtains…**

"It's Sunday. I've got nothing to do. I don't have a girlfriend to hang out with...I'm so bored..." he paused and walked to the toilet, "Maybe I'll go watch a movie or something."

**At the 'Cosmosphere Virtual World'... **

"_I live in Ciel. It's a small, country town of only about 20,000 people._

_I like living here. The water tastes good and the air is fresh!_

_But enough about that let me introduce myself._

_My name is Minato Arisato. I'm 17 years old and I'm in the eleventh grade._

_I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm determined to get one this year. Too bad__it's not as easy as flipping a switch. Girlfriend on, girlfriend off._

_And, sadly, I've got nothing to do today. I'll just walk around town to__kill some time."_

**At the South Market Street...**

"Hmm, maybe I should catch a movie... Let's see what they're showing..." he looked at the posters on display, " Hmm...? The Wives of Lune Lane: Adultery/Jealousy/Murder?"

Then he thought to himself in a shock, "_Ech! What a horrible title... I'm not watching this!"_

**While he was looking for another movie… a female teenager wearing a pink cardigan with a short, but not revealing, black skirt came from behind.**

"Huh? Minato-kun?"

"Oh, Yukari!"

"_Her name is Yukari Takeba. We grew up together. Oddly enough, we had the__exact same class schedule for five years in a row..._

_She always liked to watch after me. She used to come over every morning to__wake me up. I wish she just left me alone."_

"Oh, are you planning on watching the movie?" she looked at the movie poster which Minato was disgusted by it, " It sounds so interesting! I've been waiting to watch it!"

"_She always had poor taste. Especially when it came to naming things."_

"Come on! Let's go!" she grabbed Minato by the arm.

"Go where…?"

"Don't you want to watch this movie?"

"No! It's...just not my kind of movie. But, why don't you go see it? It's not that far…" Minato sighed and looked away from Yukari.

"You're so mean! I was just trying to be nice. I was feeling sorry for you since you don't have a girlfriend," Yukari pushed herself away from Minato.

"Well, I don't want you to pity me. You don't have a boyfriend. Besides, you're the one who wants to go alone to the movie theater on the weekend…"

**Minato was annoyed by Yukari. Even though they grew up together, they're quite distant…**

"Leave me alone! I don't want a boyfriend..."

**Suddenly, she smiled at Minato and grabbed his arm again.**

"Look, if you're not going to the movie, let's go shopping. They always have good deals at 'Dollar-Rama'..."

"I'll pass. You always take forever to buy anything," he said as he pushed her away.

"Fine. I don't need you to come with me. Have fun doing nothing!"

**And… Yukari leaves, alone, sadly…**

"That was close... It's usually not that easy to get rid of her," then he started walking down the road, " Hmm… There's gotta be something I can do. Maybe I'll go to a teahouse or something."

……

**Inside a newly opened café…**

"Huh? I didn't know there was a cafe over here…" then he looked around in delight, "Wow… I didn't expect to find such a fashionable cafe in this town. It's really improving."

**A yellow-haired teenager ****appears in a waitress outfit, it was actually Aigis… but… a human one.**

"Welcome! What can I get you?" asked the maid.

"_Wow, she's just my type..." _said Minato with a smile_, "_U-Uh, I'd like a bowl of Beef Ramen, please…"

"Got it. One Beef Ramen coming up."

**The waitress walks away and brings the order to the kitchen. **

"One Beef Ramen, please!"

**After a few minutes, the Beef Ramen is cooked and the waitress went to where Minato is. On the way there, she accidentally bumped into another waitress and she dropped the glass cup she was holding.**

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"You again?!" a voice can be heard in the kitchen.

"S-Sorry ma'am!"

"_...I hope she's alright," _Minato started worrying.

……

"Thank you for waiting! One Beef Ramen," the waitress placed the bowl of ramen onto the table.

"Thanks."

"Please allow me to pour your tea."

"Sure," said Minato with a slight blush, "_Nice service..."_

**While ****the waitress is pouring the tea, Minato sneezed and she accidentally poured the tea onto Minato's pants.**

"Hot hot hot! Tea on my leg! Help!!" Minato said as he got out from his seat and started jumping around to cool it down.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" the worried waitress said.

**Suddenly, a long red-haired woman came from the kitchen. She was the shop owner and she looked really mad at the waitress, who looked like Aigis.**

"...You again..."

**It was Mitsuru Kirijo.**

"But, ma'am, it wasn't my fault. A customer sneezed and it startled me!"

"How dare you blame our customers!" exclaimed the shop owner and he went near to Minato, "I'm sorry our waitress poured scalding liquids on you…"

"_Whoa! The manager looks scary! I better not complain…" _Minato then smiled while twitching his eyes, "No, it's okay. Really..."

"No. She must be held responsible," then she looked angrily at the waitress, "You! Take our customer out and buy him a new pair of pants!"

The waitress was shocked, "Why me?!"

"You're the one who spilled tea on him! It's the least you can do. Take him out and buy him a pair of pants that he likes. Do it now!" commanded the shop owner.

"...Yes, ma'am. I understand…"

"That's really not necessary..." Minato objected.

"Please, don't feel bad for her. It was her fault. She should be held responsible for what she's done."

"Please come with me."

**And they both left the café. At the street, they were looking for a shop to buy clothes.**

"It was your entire fault for sneezing!" the waitress exclaimed.

"Hey, I couldn't help it. Besides, I don't really want you to come with me..."

"I have no choice. My manager told me to. Geez… My Sunday is ruined. First, I had to come in to work, and now I have to go shopping with a loser like you... Oh what an unlucky day," complained the waitress.

"Excuse me!" replied Minato angrily.

"Why don't we go to 'UNI-Q'? We can find something cheap over there…"

"Look, I don't really care... but still, what a strange cafe... That manager looks scary..." said Minato.

"Oh, she is. Did she surprise you? I only started working there because the pay is good and the uniform is cute. But, my manager is really strict… maybe I should quit…" she paused for a while and asked, "Say, what's your name?"

"Me? I'm Minato Arisato…"

"I'm Ai Ishigami. Do you live around here?" asked Ai.

"Yeah. But, I don't come into town very often. I usually just hangout at home," replied Minato.

"I see... Do you have any hobbies? Or, how 'bout a girlfriend?"

"No, neither," Minato sighed.

"Hmm. Yeah, I didn't think you'd have a girlfriend, but I thought you'd have a hobby. You really should have a goal in life. You only live once… If you waste all your time, it'll be over before you know it…" lectured Ai.

"How 'bout you, Ishigami? Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Minato with curiosity.

**Ai just stayed silent and suddenly, an explosion occurs. It came from the café just now.**

"W-What the?!"

"It's the cafe where I work. We better go!" exclaimed Ai while running back to the café.

"Okay!"

……

**Back at the café…**

"What's going on? Why is everyone on the floor?" asked Minato.

"It could be..."

"Huh?!"

"Sorry. I have to go…"

**Ai runs away…**

"I-Ishigami?!"

"Minato-kun!"

**Suddenly, Yukari went into the café to get Minato. Don't ask why but she has the instincts to detect where Minato is…**

"It's an emergency! A monster appeared out of nowhere and is rampaging through the city… Some people got hit by the beam that collapsed!" exclaimed Yukari.

"S-Seriously?!" said Minato panicking.

"I don't know what's going on! We better get out of here like everyone else!"

**Yukari dragged Minato successfully out and away from the café and a giant monster appears and goes on a rampage…**

"Oh my gosh…" said the panicking Yukari.

"Whoa! It ran into the building... Wait… Isn't that the café?!"

"Huh?!"

"Yukari, I'm sorry, but you have to get out of here without me! I have to check on the cafe!" said Minato while leaving the brunette alone.

"But, it's too dangerous! Minato-kun!!"

* * *

Author's notes:

This is the first story that I'm using the Minato x Aigis pairing and changing Aigis's name to Ai Ishigami… So you may hate me, Aigis fans, if you think this Aigis has been portrayed badly by me, but remember one thing, in this story's story, she's a 'human'… Anyway, this is just Part 1, moving on to Part 2…


	2. Level 1 Pt 2

Part 2 begins… now!

* * *

**Persona 3: Cosmospheres**

_**Aigis's Cosmosphere**_

_Level 1: Love Master (Part 2)_

**Inside the cafe... again… **

"Luckily, the first floor seems fine. The monster's floating, so..." then he went to the second floor, "Crap, the second floor is all but totally trashed..."

"Arisato?!"

"Ichigami, you're okay! I'm so glad!" said Minato while running towards Ai.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I saw the robot come inside the shop, so I was worried about you…" Minato blushed.

"Tch. You were worried about me? Why?! Shouldn't you be worried about yourself?!" Ai yelled.

"Come on! Let's get out of here together!"

"I… can't…" Ai replied.

"Why not…?"

"Stop worrying about me and just go!" Ai commanded Minato.

**Something breaks through the walls. It was the monster…**

"No!"

"Whoa!" Minato was amazed by the size of it.

"… Athena found… will destroy her… NOW…!"

"Shoot! We can't get out anymore..." Minato started to panic.

"You're a fool! You should've escaped when you had the chance..."

"But, I couldn't. It's like leaving my friend in a fire… I just can't do that!"

"You're… too nice."

"Grr…" the monster growled.

"Will you promise me something?" asked Ai.

"What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone what's… about to happen," Ai looked at the monster with a grin.

"O-Okay…"

"Do you promise? It has to stay a secret!"

"Yeah yeah…!"

**The monster was engulfed in a bright light…**

"Hold my hand!" exclaimed Ai.

"W-What? But we just met..."

"You fool! I don't mean it like that! Just… grab it!"

**Minato nodded with a sigh.**

"ROAR!!"

**And Ai transforms… **

**Note: It's the machine Aigis plus her persona, Athena. Try imagining it… H-Haha…**

"… It worked."

Minato stared at his clothes, "What happened to my clothes? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later! We have to eliminate the monster first! Are you ready?" asked Ai.

"Ready?! Don't tell me… I have to fight, too?!"

"Of course. You're stuck with me now, so let's go!"

**A few minutes later, the both of them successfully defeated the monster a.k.a. Shadow… **

**Back to the cafe after the fight...**

"What's going on?" asked Minato.

"Do you promise not to laugh?"

**Minato nodded and listened carefully to Ai's explanation…**

"This planet is being threatened by monsters called… 'Shadows'. These Shadows absorb 'persona', the source of all human energy and turn it into their own energy. They're strong," she paused for a while and continued again.

"There's a group called Strega. They're trying to manipulate the Shadows to take over the world… I've been fighting them all by myself."

"..." Minato didn't really believe her.

"You don't get it, do you? I never should've told you... But, you can't tell anyone about this..." she glared at him.

"Can I still help you?"

**What Minato said prompted Ai to stare blankly at him that meant "Huh?"**

"I've seen too much that I have no choice but to believe you... And, you can't take them all on alone. I can help you…"

"...Do you know what you're asking? It could cost you your life."

"I know but, I can't just ignore what's happening…" he said seriously.

"Hmph… Fine...Do whatever you want…"

……

**At the café…**

"Have you finished cleaning? Then, come over here! I've got more work for you!" the red-haired shop owner commanded Ai.

"Alright. I'll be right there..." Then she complained to herself, softly, "Why do I have to fix up the store...?"

"It's not so bad."

"You think so?" Ai turned around to only see Minato with a smile, "Y-You! What are you still doing here anyway?"

"...Well, I just happened to be passing by…"

"Hmph… You're too nice," she said with a smile.

**Minato chuckled and helped her out.**

……

**After cleaning, they both exited the café and walked together… **

"_Phew!_ We're finally done! It took so long, I feel like I actually work there…!" Minato stretched while walking.

"… You didn't have to stay the whole time, you know? You could've just left…"

"Yeah, I know… But I can't stop something once I'm in the middle of it. It's like trying to stop eating a snack after I already opened it…!" Minato said trying to humor Ai.

"What? I don't get it. But, you are pretty funny!"

"Me, funny? Why, did I say something strange?" asked Minato.

"No, not that kind of funny. You just make me laugh. Hahaha!" Ai laughed and laughed.

"Okay, I guess I don't get it."

**After a while, they reached a crossroad…**

"Well, I better get going. Where do you live, Ichigami?"

"I'm turning right from the crossroad…"

"Oh well, I'm sorry about today," Minato said, feeling guilty.

"Me, too. I didn't mean to get you involved..."

"That's alright. I'll come by the cafe sometime to see you…"

"I'll be looking forward to it! See you around!"

**And Ai ran off on her own…**

……

**Back at Minato's House...**

**He went to his room and jumped straight onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.**

"Man… I'm so exhausted. But, I still can't believe what I saw... Was I just dreaming it all? I can't believe I was attacked by a slimy-looking monster. That waitress transformed...and so did I..."

**Then he started to close his eyes…**

"I… should stop by the cafe after school tomorrow... That… really was some good exercise..."

**And, he slept…**

……

**The next morning…**

"Wake up! Wanna be late for school?" the brunette from the previous part returns.

"Uhh...wait..." Minato said while covering himself fully with his blanket.

"Oh come on! Wake up sleepy head!"

**Yukari then hit him… hard… with her schoolbooks that she held in her hands.**

"Oh for crying out loud, what are you doing here?!" Minato woke up angrily and glared at Yukari.

"You're gonna be late, sleepy head! Go get yourself washed up and let's get going!!" exclaimed Yukari.

"Oh, no! I have to hurry!" he immediately got out of bed and into the toilet.

**Yukari just chuckled and waited outside his house for him…**

……

**On the way to their school, Moonlight High School…**

"Don't you get tired of waking me up every morning?" asked Minato while adjusting his bow tie.

"Hmph. You should be thanking me. Without me, you'd be late for school everyday!"

"I would?" he then stared at Yukari.

"Yes," she nodded, "Everyday."

"I wouldn't be late everyday. More like every other day…" then he started to run, "But, we better hurry!"

"M-Minato-kun, wait up!!"

……

**Finally, at the school grounds, plenty of students were there already…**

"_Phew! _You didn't have to run that fast…" complained Yukari.

"S-Sorry…"

"A-Anyway, I was surprised to see a robot like that yesterday. I've never seen anything like it before…"

**Minato nodded and looked up to the sky…**

"But… I wonder who stopped it. It happened pretty quickly, didn't it?" asked Yukari.

"Yeah! I wonder what happened to it… h-hahahaha!!"

**He knew all to well what happened. He and Ai stopped the monster from causing any more chaos…**

"...?"

**Yukari started feeling suspicious…**

**In the school building... they were both at the class 2-F, which was also the best class at the school. So on the way to class…**

"Hey," she asked Minato, "Did you do your Math homework? It was the basic section on page 23…"

"Homework? Crap, I forgot to do it. Will you help me? Please…??" begged Minato.

"What?! Again?! I'm not your tutor, you know?" complained Yukari.

**As they continued talking about their homework issue, a certain 'someone' appears in a school uniform that caught Minato's eyes.**

"Hold on… aren't you…?!"

"Oh, are you a student here too?" asked the student.

… **To be continued.**

* * *

**Back at the Binary Field...**

"Huh? What happened? Why are we back here?" asked Minato.

"I guess that was the first 'episode'…"

"What?! Man… I'm just curious about the rest of the story."

"Next time, we'll continue where we left off, so don't worry about anything, okay Minato-san?" said Aigis with a smile.

"Oh fine. Let's return back here tomorrow. Since it's a holiday…"

* * *

Author's notes:

Okay… Level 1 of Aigis's Cosmosphere's done… Moving on to Level 2…


	3. Level 2 Pt 1

Uh… This is the Second Level, hope you all like it…

* * *

**Persona 3: Cosmospheres**

_**Aigis's Cosmosphere**_

The next day, only Minato and Aigis turned up at the 'Dive Shop'.

"Ah, it's you two!" exclaimed the shopkeeper.

"We're back for more… I guess… its kind of fun, actually," Minato chuckled.

"Haha. That's because she's a person who can create her own cosmosphere… just like… 'That' person…"

"'That' person?" asked Minato.

"I-It's nothing. Anyway, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Krusche Elendia."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. I'm Aigis and he's Minato-san," said Aigis.

"Alright… enough with the introductions… It's 'Dive' time!"

And with that, Aigis's Cosmosphere story continues…

* * *

_Level 2: Run Into (Part 1) _

_Summary of Story: Ai was a little jealous of Minato's childhood friend, Yukari. While talking it over, there is another virus attack. Lost in despair, Ai runs away. Minato runs after her but..._

At the Binary Field...

"… Here we go," said Aigis.

At the Cosmosphere Virtual World, the story continues from where it stopped.

* * *

"_My name's Minato Arisato. I'm 17 years old, and I'm a sophomore._

_Due to a bizarre incident, I ended up being friends with a girl named Ai Ishigami. Ever since then, my life started to get exciting._

_I have quite an ordeal to face today. I have to deal with an assassin from the evil group Strega._

_So, who do I have to fight this time...? I'm too depressed to care."_

**In the school building...**

"Hold on… aren't you…?!"

"Oh, are you a student here too?" asked the student.

"Who is this girl? Judging by her uniform, she's a freshman..." said Yukari.

"I met her during that crazy incident yesterday. I saved her, and she saved me..." Minato explained.

"..." The student, who was Ai, went near to their seats.

"Wow, I'm sorry you were caught up in all that mayhem yesterday! Hi, I'm Yukari. It's nice to meet you," Yukari smiled at Ai.

"Nice to meet you, too," Ai smiled back.

"Um… Are you alright? I'm so sore from yesterday, you know... hahaha..." said Minato, remembering yesterday's 'incident'.

"… I'm fine."

"H-Hey Minato-kun! I thought you wanted to copy my math homework! Let's go to class!"

"Oh, yeah! We better go!"

"I'll let you copy my homework, but then you have to go shopping with me, okay?" threatened Yukari and she used her free arm to grab Minato's arm.

"Are you serious?!"

"…" Ai then started to walk away, "Thank you for yesterday. I'm going to be late. I have to go…"

**And she left…**

"H-Hey, wait…!"

"……" Yukari then dragged him to class.

**In the classroom... A Shuji Ikutsuki look-a-like was the teacher…**

"Listen to me. If you don't get better in math, you're going to end up with the filth out on the street! You all better master Pythagoras' Theorem by graduation! And you better pass Integrals or you'll die trying!" yelled Shuji, the teacher.

"_Man...how many times does he have to give me this lecture..." _Minato complained in his mind.

"Alright...it's time to turn in your homework. It was the basic section on page 23."

"_Crap, I didn't even have time to copy Yukari's..." _Minato thought as he started panicking.

"If you forgot to do your homework, come to the front and beg for your dear life!"

**Everyone started handing his or her home works to the teacher's desk. It gave Minato time to escape from class.**

"_The teacher is pretty scary, as always. I should escape now…"_

**Minato then left the class through the back door. Yukari caught him but all she did was smile and acted as if she didn't see that.**

……

**At the school's P.E. field…**

"I'm not good at math. But, it's not like I'm trying to be a rocket scientist or anything. But, I've always aced P.E."

**Suddenly a volleyball flies towards Minato and he caught it. **

"Huh? Volleyball?"

"Um! That's mine! Ack!"

**And they bumped into each other.**

"S-Sorry..."

**It was Ai. She was wearing the school's gym clothes…**

"Arisato…"

"Ishigami…"

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" asked Ai.

"I'm ditching. I'm not very good at math…"

"I see..."

"..."

**Then Minato sat on a bench that was placed there…**

"Do you...mind if I sit next to you?"

"Go right ahead. But, aren't you supposed to be in P.E.?"

"I'm not good at it..."

"I'm surprised to see you here. You're a freshman, right?" asked Minato in delight.

"Yeah, I'm surprised, too…"

"..." Minato suddenly felt a little… awkward.

"Who was that girl you were with this morning?" asked Ai with curiousity.

"Oh, her? She's my childhood friend…" Minato replied with a smile.

"Oh...I thought she was your girlfriend. It caught me by surprise…"

"Her? My girlfriend? Like that would actually happen…"

"Well, you told me that you didn't have a girlfriend. I thought you lied to me…" said Aigis with a frown.

"Oh, no! I didn't lie. We just grew up together. That's all…! But, I'm a little surprised that you aren't good at P.E."

"Why are you surprised? I wish I was better at sports...but, I really can't help it," said Ai with a sad tone of voice.

"You do fall down pretty often, for no apparent reason. That just might be your talent.

"Don't make fun of me," Aigis glared at Minato, Actually, I can handle volleyball...but I don't like summer sports..."

"Summer sports?"

"Yeah...I can't swim..."

"Hmm...So you can fight all kinds of hideous monsters, but you can't play sports... That's interesting," said Minato while laughing.

"Tch… It's different. You helped power me up. Besides, I just shoot the enemy, not hack and slash them like you do…"

"You're right. I'm just surprised how you transform."

**Ai looked blankly at Minato with an expression that meant "I don't get it."**

"You transformed when I held your hand. I could barely even think while holding yours…"

"Huh? So, do you want to hold my hand now?" asked Ai with a smile.

"A-Ack, no! That wasn't what I meant… I just feel sorry for your boyfriend. If you have one, that is..." said Minato with a slight blush.

"My boyfriend...I see... Don't worry, I only transform when I want to...Do you want to hold my hand to find out?" Ai looked away from Minato.

"Are you sure?"

Ai suddenly laughs, "Haha! I'm only kidding..."

**Suddenly, the P.E. teacher shouted Ai's name and told her to bring the ball back. She was taking way too long.**

"Oh well, I guess I should go back... see you."

**And with that said, she left, so Minato decided to go back to class, since Math period is going to end soon.**

**In the school building... screams and yells can be heard throughout the hallway…**

"Huh? Why is it so noisy? I've got a bad feeling about this..."

**In the classroom, everyone was on the floor again. Minato saw Yukari and went to where she is. He knelt down and put her in his arms.**

"M… Minato… kun…"

"Yukari! Are you alright? What happened here?!" Minato started to panic.

"We started feeling dizzy during Math class...and then we all collapsed..." she said as she started to faint.

"Yukari! Are you okay? Y-Yukari?"

"Give it up."

**A voice came from behind Lyner and he looked behind.**

"Huh?! Who are you?"

**It was someone who looked like Metis, but in a school uniform and without the mask.**

"I'm Mezame. I want you to come with me!" she exclaimed.

"What? But what about…"

"Just leave her there, Minato-san! Hurry up!"

**So he left Yukari back onto the floor and ran after Mezame.**

**In the school building hallway, the both of them talked about what had happened.**

"What's going on here?"

"It's an attack from Strega. The Boss of Strega, Nyx took over the school. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Strega... you mean, the ones who steal the power of Persona..."

"Yeah, they're an evil organization, plotting to take over the world with Shadows."

"I can't believe it..." said Minato while

"Go get Ai right now! We have to fight!" commanded Mezame.

"I'm on it. But, who are you? How do you know all about this?"

"I'm just a friend of hers. Go find her already!"

**Back at the school's P.E. field… **

"Ishigami! Ishigami!" Minato ran around yelling that name.

"Stop yelling my name out loud. It's embarrassing..." Ai came from behind him.

"Ah! There you are! The school's been taken over by Strega. Everyone in the classroom is out cold..."

"What?! Okay, let's go!" said Ai.

**Then, the both of them ran into the school building and into the class, 2-F. Yukari was still on the floor, so Minato brought Ai to check on her.**

"I may not...survive...much longer..." said Yukari while breathing slowly.

"She's in critical condition. She lost almost all of her Persona powers..." said Ai while checking on her.

"Is this room done? My, you all are excellent students..."

**The Maths teacher and a woman, who looked like an adult Chidori (imagine it), came.**

"Teacher...huh? Who're you?" asked Minato while looking at the both of them.

"Ah… there's one student left," said Shuji while adjusting his glasses.

"The poor kid. Why don't we save this one, too, Shuji?" asked the woman.

"Who are you...?" asked Minato.

"Mmm, you're so full of energy. I bet his Persona power is especially delicious."

"Persona power?! Are you a Shadow?" asked Ai.

"Do you really want to know? I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It's a secret," said the woman with a smile.

"Tch."

"Young children's Persona power is especially sweet and addicting…"

"Y-You're sick! Who do you think you are?!" exclaimed Ai.

"Why, I'm the future queen. I'm not sick… In case you hadn't noticed, I'm collecting Persona power to reawaken Nyx," said the woman.

"She's Chidori, the leader of Strega. And, those are the Shadows!"

**Mezame ran into the classroom and went to where they were.**

"You...Mezame?! What are you doing?" asked Chidori.

"The leader of Strega? So, you're...!"

"Are you ready? 'Athena'?" asked Mezame with a smile.

"...Yes."

**Minato just stared at them.**

"Okay, let's do our best!" said Mezame while getting ready to fight.

"Oh, I get it. You're the Bringer of Justice... This is interesting. I've been wanting to fight you for some time now," said Shuji.

"Shuji, take them out quickly," commanded Chidori and she left the classroom.

Shuji suddenly turned into an armoured robot with a lightning spear and got ready to fight as well.

"Arisato! Please lend me your power..." said Ai, putting her hand out for Minato to hold.

"Okay, I will."

* * *

Author's note:

If you hadn't notice, this story is mostly based on script form… so, yeah… Well, this is part 1, time for part 2.


	4. Level 2 Pt 2

Level 2 Part 2. Enjoy!

* * *

**Persona 3: Cosmospheres**

_**Aigis's Cosmosphere**_

_Level 2: Run Into (Part 2)_

**Ai transforms again… and said something that was really… 'heroic'…**

"Defend the feeble and defeat the evil. My strength heralds the villain's demise when the Bringer of Justice Athena arrives! In the name of right, you will feel our might!" Ai said while doing a 'Bringer of Justice' pose.

"_I'm not going to say nor do anything as ridiculous as that...it's like insulting yourself, seriously…" _Minato thought to himself.

"Ha ha! I'll suck all of your Persona power dry! Every last drop!" exclaimed Shuji.

**And so, Minato and Ai, who's now Athena, fight and successfully defeated the teacher with every ounce of strength they have while Mezame did the analysis on the enemy.**

**After the battle, they transformed back to their original selves.**

"Did we do it?" asked Minato while huffing and puffing.

"The Persona power is being released back into everyone..." said Ai while looking around.

"Nooo! All the Persona power...it's gone!" said Chidori in anger.

"We'll get you this time! Is everyone ready?" asked Ai.

"Sorry, but you can't beat me that easily," then she started to disappear, "We'll meet again! And next time, your sweet Persona power will be mine!"

**Chidori disappears in a bright light…**

" No, she got away..." said Mezame.

"Who was that?" asked Minato.

"She is the infamous, evil queen Chidori, the leader of Strega," explained Mezame.

"The leader of Strega… Anyway, how do you know so much? Who are you really?"

"I told you, I'm Ai's friend..."

"This could be my fault..." Ai suddenly said with a sad tone of voice, I think the school was attacked because I was here… It's my fault that both the school and the cafe were attacked..."

"It has to be a coincidence," Mezame thought out loudly.

"Yeah, it's the opposite. Everyone was saved because of you," Minato said, trying to cheer Ai up.

"But, everywhere I go, Strega shows up and attacks... This all has to stop, now!"

**Ai runs away in depression and she blamed herself that it was all her fault that everything happened.**

"Ishigami!"

Mezame pulled Minato back, "It's just too much for her right now...fighting Nyx, saving the world... Did you know she's only 16?" she said softly.

"..."

And she let him go, "…Well now, shouldn't you go chase after her?"

"Huh?"

"You know, chase after her, talk to her, the whole routine. You are her partner, right?" she said with a wink of an eye.

"Well, yeah...I guess… see you."

**And Minato chases after the depressed Ai.**

**Still at the classroom…**

"..." Mezame then knelt in front of Yukari.

"If she discovers the relationship between Nyx and herself, she may not be able to recover from it..." then she looked up to the ceiling, "Minato-san, you're the only person who can help Ai. Don't let me down now..."

**Suddenly, Yukari awakens from her unconsciousness.**

"W-What was I doing?" she asked as she tried to push herself up.

"Oh, you're conscious. That's good..." Mezame stood up and pulled Yukari up.

"Who are you? Is Minato-kun okay?"

**Mezame was shocked at the questions asked by Yukari. She noticed it… she asked if 'Minato' was okay and not 'What happened'… Yukari's feelings for him… all she could do was stay speechless.**

……

**At The Park Overlooking the Sea, Minato looked thoroughly for Ai until he finally found her.**

"Ishigami!" he yelled while running towards her.

"Arisato...what are you doing here?" she asked, not looking at him.

"I've been looking for you. You left pretty abruptly..."

"I'm sorry. I just got a little scared... scared about myself...everything around me...Strega..." she explained.

"Ishi…gami…"

"There's a lot of stuff I don't know about myself. There are some large gaps in my memory. I don't even know how I became the Bringer of Justice…" then she looked at him with sorrowful eyes, "I don't even know why I'm fighting."

"Just calm down. You may not have the answers now, but there's plenty of time to find them," he said, cheerfully.

"Not to mention, I can help you with that..."

"..." she just continued gazing at him.

"Well, that is, of course, if you let me..."

"I have to say… You're too nice..."

"What?" asked Minato.

**Ai then went right in front of Minato which made him move back a little.**

"Why are you so nice to me? I put your life in danger several times now!"

"Well, I don't really know. But, I couldn't just leave you alone..." he replied.

"..."

"I can't explain it in a way that makes any sense. I'm just not that smart and junk, I guess… I just like to see you smile."

"That's not a very good reason," she replied with a glare.

"W-Well, that was my best shot!"

"I can never marry anyone because I don't even know who I really am…" she started to leave, "You shouldn't hang out with me too much. Your friend might get jealous."

**Minato was speechless and looked back to where Ai headed to…**

"I'm sorry for everything that happened today. I feel so much better after talking to you. But, I should get going..." said Ai.

"Let me walk with you. You never know what might happen..." he ran after her again.

"No, that's okay..."

" Oh c'mon, I need to go that way anyway," he said with a thumbs-up.

**So in the end, they decided to walk home together. Back at the crossroad from before…**

"Your house is over that way, right? Well, see you..." said Minato as he started to leave.

Ai suddenly asked, "Uh… Hey, how far away is your house?"

Minato stopped walking, "Huh? Oh, it's not that far. It's about a five-minute walk..."

"I see..."

"…Why?"

"Well... how to put it… Can I stop by for a while?" asked Ai with a sad smile.

"Really?! Well, I..."

**In Minato's heart, he was extremely happy. Because he has never had a visitor drop by his house, except his friends from school who were guys and Yukari who's his childhood friend.**

"That's okay. That girl you grew up with might be there... I'm sorry..." she said, thinking of Yukari.

"Huh? No, she won't be there. It's just that..." he paused and after a while said, "It's really messy! You'll faint...or run away...or just hate me…" and he looked away from Ai.

"…" She started to laugh, "You're so funny! It's supposed to be messy. You're a boy!"

"No, I mean, it's worse than anything you'd ever expect. And, it's also really small!"

"But it's big enough for one extra person, right?"

"...Well, yeah, I guess..."

**At Minato's house, the whole living room is actually his bedroom. And his toilet is a door next to his bed. The kitchen is just next to his toilet. The whole place isn't properly arranged and it was very messy.**

Ai was shocked to see his room, "This… is your room...? It's a lot dirtier than I expected…" she said while looking in disgust.

"See, I told you! That's why I didn't want you to come over..."

"No, it's okay. This is how a boy's room is supposed to look. And, it's not like you have a girlfriend to help you clean it," she smirked.

"Ugh… Did you have to bring that up?" Minato sighed and went to his bed.

"Can I cook for you?"

"No, no, it's okay. You must be tired by now..."

"I'm fine, don't worry. I just really feel like cooking. Especially since I haven't cooked anything in a while."

**All Minato could do was accept the offer since she really wanted to do it…**

……

"..." Minato looked at Ai who was trying to find something, "There aren't any ingredients or spices to use, are there?"

"That's okay. I don't expect you to have any. I saw something worse earlier..." Ai said in disgust.

"Huh? What is it?"

"I don't even want to say it. Don't worry, I took care of it already," and she smiled at him.

"...This is going to bother me until I know what it was..."

"Anyway, it's going to be summer soon. You need to watch out for biohazards..." she said and she continued looking for ingredients.

"What? Is it all the bugs? I thought it was just because it's summer time..." Minato then lied on his bed, "Ah, forget it."

……

**A few minutes later…**

"Thank you for waiting."

**Ai served Minato a bowl of salad with a few pieces of fried chicken below the salad that looked extremely delicious to him. He was amazed how she could do something like this.**

"Whoa! Now this is one fancy meal. I've never eaten anything like this before!" exclaimed Minato in delight.

"Really? I just made it from whatever I could find. It's just Caesar Salad with a few pieces of fried chicken underneath. What do you usually eat?"

"Uh, whatever they have at the convenience store, like cup ramen or ready-made soup and porridges…" he said while taking a piece of lettuce and putting it into his mouth.

"You know, it's not very healthy to eat out all the time," Ai lectured him.

"But, it's convenient!"

Ai sighed, "It's really bad for your health to do that. Do you want me to cook for you every now and then?" she offered again.

While eating a piece of fried chicken, Minato asked in a shock, "Are you serious?!"

"What? You don't want me to?"

"No, no, no! I just don't want you to have to go through all this trouble just for me…" he said with a slight blush.

"Oh? Well, that's no problem... It's getting hot in the evenings now, too. Summer is coming. Sometimes, I just feel blue..." she said looking at Minato eat.

" ...What about swimming?"

"I can't swim at all."

"Well, I can teach you how to swim. There's a new swimming pool at the Seaside Park. We can go there," this time Minato offered swimming lessons.

"But..."

"Don't worry. I'm a really good swimmer. Once you get the hang of it, swimming is really easy!"

"Alright. Please teach me," Ai nodded.

"Great! Let's go on the day of the summer festival. Then we can see the fireworks at night!"

"Fireworks! Oh, I'd love to see them! I've never seen real fireworks before! So… Do you promise? I'm going to be looking forward to it!"

**As they were talking happily, someone opens the door and comes in…**

"Minato-kun? Are you okay?!"

"…!" Ai looked at that person.

"Yukari?!" Minato was shocked to see her.

"Oh, you have company..."

**... To be continued.**

* * *

**Back at the Binary Field...**

"What happened?" asked Minato.

"I think that was the end of that 'episode', Minato-san…" said Aigis with a sigh.

"That was it?"

**Aigis just nodded.**

"Man… there goes another 4,500 yen… If Senpai didn't drag us into this… I could've saved 9000 yen… and wouldn't have gotten addicted to it! Aargh!!"

"Anyway, we'll continue where we left off the next time we come back…"

"… I understand," said Minato with a frown.

* * *

Author's note:

The end of Level 2! Phew… this is what I call, 'Shureila (from Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia) to Aigis means hard work…' Well, I'm not complaining but… hope you all like it… seriously. It's tough work. Um... Actually, I don't know how to change 'Harmonics' into something related to 'Persona'... so I used Persona power... And another reminder, this story is based mainly on script form…


	5. Level 3 ED 1

P.S.: This is still Aigis's Cosmosphere, but with a different ending. You'll have two choices during the story that will determine the ending. Well, since I'm free, I'll be doing all two choices endings, so keep reading! This is for the Minato x Yukari pairing… ^^

* * *

The next day, they went to the 'Dive Shop' again to continue the story…

* * *

_Level 3 [Solemn Promise] _

_Summary of Story: Finally, Minato is able to get a date with Ai. But because of Yukari, there is an uneasy feeling. And now a huge trial stands in their way. They can't trust each other. Will their feelings ever come together?!_

At the Binary Field…

"We're up to the third 'episode'. Would you like to continue where we stopped the last time?" asked Aigis.

"Yes."

"Alright. Let's continue…"

**

* * *

****At the Cosmosphere Virtual World...**

"_My name's Minato Arisato. I'm 17 years old, and I'm a sophomore._

_Due to a bizarre incident, I ended up being friends with a girl named Ai Ishigami. Ever since then, my life started to get exciting._

_We stopped an attack by the evil group Strega, and we've been in a good mood ever since._

_But, things have been getting worse around here. I wonder where I'll end up..."._

**At Minato's house...**

"Yukari?!" Minato was shocked to see her.

"Oh, you have company... Well… Since you saved me, I was going to cook you something nice. But, I guess I was a little late," said Yukari with a while looking sadly at Minato.

"……" Ai just looked at her.

"I made your favorite again, Beef Takoyaki! Too bad you already ate…"

"Wait a minute! What do you mean, "Again?!" When did you ever cook for me?" exclaimed Minato.

"Excuse me! I cook for you all the time! Like, last year..." said Yukari in despair.

"......" Ai just continued looking at the both of them argue.

"Since I wake you up every morning, do you want me to make you breakfast, too?!"

"Yukari!!!" Minato shouted in anger, _"Ugh… If only I could shout at her louder…"_

Finally, Ai voiced out, "I… I'm sorry...this is all my fault..."

"I-Ishigami!"

"You don't have to worry about me. Of course you'd prefer a normal girl. I'm just a strange girl who doesn't even know her own past."

"But..." said Minato softly.

"You have such a cute girl right here. Why don't you date her? You should be more confident…" Ai went to the door.

"No...It's just..."

"It's getting late. I should go…"

"Then, I'll walk you home..." offered Minato.

"No, I'll be fine! You better stay with her," said Ai with a sad smile.

**And she ran off…**

**Back inside Minato's house…**

**An awkward atmosphere engulfed the whole house. There was no happiness at all.**

**Yukari just put the food she brought onto the table and went closer to Minato.**

"Y-Yukari...can't you read between the lines? Besides, you're acting so weird today. What's wrong?" asked Minato softly.

"I'm doing it on purpose..." she replied with a serious tone of voice.

"What?!"

"Do you like her... or better yet, love her?"

"Y-Yukari, w-what are you saying?!" Minato grabbed both her shoulders and pushed her to the wall.

"It's been bothering me since this morning. You like that girl, don't you?" Yukari looked away from him.

"I-It's none of your business!"

"It IS my business! Because...because..."

**Yukari then gazed at Minato with serious eyes while blushing.**

"… Minato-kun, I… love you."

**AHEM! Anyway, the amazing power of the three words, "I love you." shocked Minato and he released her from his grasp.**

"Yukari? Why didn't you tell me before…?"

"You really didn't notice?! I never told you, but I thought my actions made it perfectly clear…"

"......" Minato was speechless.

"Minato-kun...am I not good enough for you...? I've been watching you. I was always there for you, but your feelings were always somewhere else. I'm not beautiful enough for a person like you, is that it…?" asked Yukari.

"...Yukari..."

**Now then, two options are presented that will decide the ending of the story's story. **

**_1. Go out with Yukari_**

**_2. Yukari is just a friend_**

**Well now, I'll be choosing number 1.**

"Yukari, I didn't know how you felt about me. I'm not good at figuring that stuff out…" and he blushed, "It's strange...we've been friends for over ten years, but I still want to be with you..."

"Minato-kun..."

"Thank you for telling me how you feel. Actually, I really like you too, Yukari. I want to be with you forever…" Minato smiled at Yukari.

"M-Minato-kun… a-are you… s-serious?" she said in a shock.

Minato nodded, "Well, there are some things I don't like about you. You take way too long to shop, and you're terrible at naming things..."

"......" Yukari just stayed silent.

"But, I like those faults. We'll be together forever..."

"I...I...am so happy...!"

**Yukari ran into Minato's arms and he embraced her tightly.**

"I've been hiding my feelings for the past five years, but I finally told you how I felt. I've never been happier in my life!" she exclaimed happily, in tears.

"......"

**And they just continued like that for quite some time…**

……

**A few years later, they graduated and obtained master degrees. They were quite popular to the world now.**

**So… At a church... Yukari is in a white wedding dress…**

"I want to live a long and happy life with you. I want to raise a happy family with you..." she said as she smiled brightly at Minato.

"_This is our happy ending._

_I worried about Ishigami for a while, but she eventually faded out of my memories._

_As for us..."_

**In Lyner's house, Yukari appears only wearing a towel…**

"I'm done with my bath. Now, it's your turn," she said with a smile.

"Oh, thanks…" and he took his towel and night wear.

"So, did you think of a name? Let me hear it," Yukari said cheerfully.

"I haven't really thought about it much yet..."

"What about "Izanagi" if it's a boy? I think it's pretty cool."

"Uh, uh, no way! I'm not gonna name a kid by a name of a Japanese God!" he then ran into the toilet and closed the door behind him.

**Well, let's just say Minato's suffering continued...**

* * *

Back to the Binary Field...

"Huh...?" said Minato while looking around.

"Well, I guess that's the end," Aigis said unsatisfied.

"Seriously, that's it…?!" asked Minato.

"Yes. But, I didn't like that ending…"

"… Oh?"

"Well, if you didn't like it, we can go back and play it again from the middle. But, only if you want to! I don't want to pressure you or anything. But, I strongly recommend it.…" she said with a weak smile.

"W… Well..."

* * *

Author's note:

This is like a 'bad ending' for Aigis's Cosmosphere Story, so please wait as I write the other choice's story out for you all… Thanks! ^^


	6. Level 3 ED 2 Pt 1

P.S.: This is still Aigis's Cosmosphere, but with a different ending. You'll have two choices during the story that will determine the ending. Well, since I'm free, I'll be doing all two choices endings, so keep reading! This is for the Minato x Aigis pairing… ^^

* * *

The next day, they went to the 'Dive Shop' again to continue the story…

* * *

_Level 3 [Solemn Promise] _

_Summary of Story: Finally, Minato is able to get a date with Ai. But because of Yukari, there is an uneasy feeling. And now a huge trial stands in their way. They can't trust each other. Will their feelings ever come together?!_

At the Binary Field…

"We're up to the third 'episode'. Would you like to continue where we stopped the last time?" asked Aigis.

"Yes."

"Alright. Let's continue…"

* * *

**At the Cosmosphere Virtual World...**

"_My name's Minato Arisato. I'm 17 years old, and I'm a sophomore._

_Due to a bizarre incident, I ended up being friends with a girl named Ai Ishigami. Ever since then, my life started to get exciting._

_We stopped an attack by the evil group Strega, and we've been in a good mood ever since._

_But, things have been getting worse around here. I wonder where I'll end up..."_

**At Minato's house...**

"Yukari?!" Minato was shocked to see her.

"Oh, you have company... Well… Since you saved me, I was going to cook you something nice. But, I guess I was a little late," said Yukari with a while looking sadly at Minato.

"……" Ai just looked at her.

"I made your favorite again, Beef Takoyaki! Too bad you already ate…"

"Wait a minute! What do you mean, "Again?!" When did you ever cook for me?" exclaimed Minato.

"Excuse me! I cook for you all the time! Like, last year..." said Yukari in despair.

"......" Ai just continued looking at the both of them argue.

"Since I wake you up every morning, do you want me to make you breakfast, too?!"

"Yukari!!!" Minato shouted in anger, _"Ugh… If only I could shout at her louder…"_

Finally, Ai voiced out, "I… I'm sorry...this is all my fault..."

"I-Ishigami!"

"You don't have to worry about me. Of course you'd prefer a normal girl. I'm just a strange girl who doesn't even know her own past."

"But..." said Minato softly.

"You have such a cute girl right here. Why don't you date her? You should be more confident…" Ai went to the door.

"No...It's just..."

"It's getting late. I should go…"

"Then, I'll walk you home..." offered Minato.

"No, I'll be fine! You better stay with her," said Ai with a sad smile.

**And she ran off…**

**Back inside Minato's house…**

**An awkward atmosphere engulfed the whole house. There was no happiness at all.**

**Yukari just put the food she brought onto the table and went closer to Minato.**

"Y-Yukari...can't you read between the lines? Besides, you're acting so weird today. What's wrong?" asked Minato softly.

"I'm doing it on purpose..." she replied with a serious tone of voice.

"What?!"

"Do you like her... or better yet, love her?"

"Y-Yukari, w-what are you saying?!" Minato grabbed both her shoulders and pushed her to the wall.

"It's been bothering me since this morning. You like that girl, don't you?" Yukari looked away from him.

"I-It's none of your business!"

"It IS my business! Because...because..."

**Yukari then gazed at Minato with serious eyes while blushing.**

"… Minato-kun, I… love you."

**AHEM! Anyway, the amazing power of the three words, "I love you." shocked Minato and he released her from his grasp.**

"Yukari? Why didn't you tell me before…?"

"You really didn't notice?! I never told you, but I thought my actions made it perfectly clear…"

"......" Minato was speechless.

"Minato-kun...am I not good enough for you...? I've been watching you. I was always there for you, but your feelings were always somewhere else. I'm not beautiful enough for a person like you, is that it…?" asked Yukari.

"...Yukari..."

**Now then, two options are presented that will decide the ending of the story's story. **

**_1. Go out with Yukari_**

**_2. Yukari is just a friend_**

**Well now, I'll be choosing number 2.**

"I'm sorry. It's just...we've been friends too long. It's not that you aren't cute... Well, I just don't know what to think..." said Minato while looking at Yukari straight in the eyes.

"Minato...kun…"

"I'm sorry, Yukari…"

"I-It's okay... I feel better now that I told you how I feel. Thank you for being honest…" then she leaned back against the wall, "I've had a crush on you for a long time, but this is what's best for us."

"What?"

"This way, we can be friends forever, right? If we ever dated, we might break up and never talk to each other again. But, friends are forever," said Yukari while smiling but with tears rolling down her eyes, "I… want to be close to you forever. So staying friends is probably the best, right…?"

"...Yukari..."

Yukari then went to the door while wiping her tears, "I'd better go home, too… Sorry for ruining your night. I hope you're not too mad…"

"...No, I'm not…"

"Actually, I think I helped you. She needs to know you have options," then she turned to him while smiling, "Besides, I can tell that she still likes you."

"R-Really?!" exclaimed Minato.

"It won't be easy, but everything will work out fine…"

Then she opened the door, "I'll see you tomorrow at school. Good night."

**And she left, closing the door behind her.**

"Man… I didn't know how Yukari felt about me...but to me, she's just a friend..."

"_It's been a few days since that dinner. Yukari hasn't come to wake me up since then._

_Now, I'm often late for school. Nothing else has really changed._

_I see Yukari at school and I still go shopping with her, but I think I made the right decision._

_I haven't spoken to Ishigami since then, either. I just don't know what to do with her…_

_The day of the summer festival has finally arrived."_

**At Minato's house...**

"_Ah...I guess today's the day of the summer festival... I wonder if she's gonna come. Should I call her? Do I have the courage...? Maybe I should go to Main Street and see if she's working... If she's not there, oh well..." _Minato thought to himself.

……

**At the South Market Street...**

"I still have 15 minutes. I think I'll go to a bookstore to kill time..."

**As he was about to go to the bookstore, Ai showed up.**

"……" She gazed at him.

"I-Ishigami?!"

"...Hello," she greeted him with a weak smile.

"You're early."

"I don't like being late."

"I see..."

**The atmosphere between them was kind of… awkward.**

"_I don't know what to say to her...but still, I have to say something..." _he thought to himself.

"So, where are we going? You'll have to lead the way."

"Alright, let's go. The pool's new and clean," said the pumped up Minato.

"...That's good… to hear."

……

**On the way to the Public Pool... they went through a forest that was filled with trees. It was so calm and peaceful till Minato asked Ai a question…**

"Hey, are you still upset about what happened the other day?" he asked nervously.

**Ai looked clueless which made Minato chuckle for a bit…**

"You know, when my friend Yukari showed up…"

"Oh… uh, no. I'm not upset. It's not like we're dating or anything. There's nothing to get upset about," she said looking away from Minato.

"I guess you're right."

"......" She just forced a smile on her face.

After seeing that unhappy expression hiding under her fake smile, Minato quickly said, "U-Uh… I can't wait to get to the pool! Hahaha!"

"I'm not so thrilled…" she continued looking as unhappy as ever.

"Well, you'll love it once you learn how to swim!"

"If I'll be able to swim…"

"Of course you'll be able to. I'll teach you!" he said, cheerfully.

"...Okay."

Minato just sighed as he looked at Ai, "_Geez… she's still not smiling…?"_

**At the Public Pool... **

"Alright! We're here!"

"I'm going to change. Please wait in the pool…"

**While waiting, Minato dived into the pool with a happy look on his face. He really loved to swim. And also…**

"Thank you for waiting…"

… **Loved seeing women in their swimming suits.**

"…" Minato just stared as Ai went into the pool.

"…?"

"… Y-You look cute..."

"Please don't say that. You sound like a pervert. And stop staring..." she said, slightly blushing.

"I-I didn't mean to sound like—ah, forget it. So, ready to try it out?"

**Ai just nodded.**

"Alright, let's start with what you already know."

"I'm...embarrassed."

"But, I need to know what you can already do so I know where to start…" Minato pressed on.

"I... understand…"

**Ai tries to swim but in the end she looked like as if she was going to drown.**

"Whoa whoa… Are you okay?" asked Minato as he went closer to her.

" _**cough**_… Yes. I told you that I couldn't swim at all. I'm so embarrassed..."

"You're scared of putting your head under water. But, when you lift your head, your legs sink, which causes your whole body to sink. I know you're scared, but you have to keep your chin tucked. Try to look at the bottom of the pool. Then, you'll just float," Minato explained as if he was some kind of professional swimmer.

"… Is that… so?

"What? Don't you trust me? Here, I'll show you. Watch carefully, ok?"

**Minato swam from one end of the pool to the other and swam back to where Ai is.**

"Wow, you can swim fast..." Ai said, amazed at Minato's swimming abilities.

"_**phew**_... Anyway, did you see how I kept my head down? Your kicks and strokes aren't bad. You just have to keep your head down."

"...Okay, I'll try it. Here I go…!" she said and she tried swimming in circles around Minato.

"...I-I swam around you…!"

"Good job! See, you really can swim! I knew it!" he said as he looked at Ai smiling.

**...**

**After a while, they got out of the pool and walked around the building of where the public poolside is.**

"I can't believe it! I can swim! You're a really great teacher. Thank you!" said Ai, thanking Minato for teacher her how to swim.

"No, I just gave you a tip. You really have a talent for this."

"You think so? I think I like swimming now."

"That's great! Now you have one more thing to enjoy in life," Minato said with a smile.

**Ai looked clueless again.**

"Don't you remember? You told me that it's important to have things in life that you can enjoy."

"I guess I did. I know it wasn't that long ago, but it feels like forever..." she said while looking around.

"We've had stuff go down, but a lot of things have changed since then..."

"...I guess so. Like, how I feel about you..." she blushed as she said softly.

"What was that, Ishigami?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a little tired," Ai just stretched to cover up what she just said.

"Say, do you want some ice cream?" Minato asked politely.

"Oh, yes!"

"Okay, I'll go get us some. Wait right here, okay?"

**...**

"Welcome to Yuko's Ice Cream Shop!"

"Two popsicles, please."

"That's 3600 yen for two!"

"Whoa...expensive..." said Minato as he took some cash from his pocket.

"Actually, it's pretty cheap. After all, this is touristy area..."

"Fine, here you go..." and he handed her the money.

"Thank you, please come again!"

"I better hurry back before they melt..."

"Excuse me..." Yuko called to Minato.

"What is it? Didn't I pay you enough?"

"No, you have. But this isn't about our transaction. I thought you should know something."

"Hmm?"

"It's about that girl you're with. Another customer told me that she always comes down here with different guys," said Yuko with a serious expression on her face.

"...That can't be right. They must've mistaken her for someone else," Minato said, sounding worried.

"I don't think so...I heard she can't live without holding onto a guy's hand. But, she gets bored with guys pretty fast, and she breaks up with them."

"What? Holding hands?"

"The guy that told me is one of her ex-boyfriends. He's worried about her. You might want to leave her before she breaks your heart…" she said, worried.

"T-Thanks…" Minato went back, now with uncertainty in his heart.

**...**

"I'm back…"

"Thank you. I love eating popsicles on hot summer days!" Ai took one and licked it with her tongue happily.

"_She switches guys all the time? Well, she's cute enough for that to be true..." _he thought to himself.

"Hey Arisato… why do ice cream shops always have to ring bells to get people's attention?"

"_Her ex-boyfriend could just be jealous..." _he continued wondering, ignoring Ai's question.

"Arisato...?"

"_Wait a minute...she's been the Bringer of Justice for a while now. She probably had to hold hands with a bunch of different guys...!"_

"Uh hello…? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong..." he said forcing a smile.

" Ah… Your popsicle's melting."

**Suddenly, an explosion occurs. Ai was shocked but Minato was calm as he was still deep in thought…**

"It's a lion! But, not just an ordinary lion... It's a black lion with a wheel and a few clockwork pieces! Something like a toy!" A man yelled in fear.

**(A/N: Those who've played Persona 3 knows what I'm talking about, the lion which has a wheel thing… not the one with the iron ball!)**

**Another explosion occurs soon after.**

"Kyaa! It's blowing fire!" a woman yelled this time.

Ai gasped, "Could it be...?"

"… That has to be a Shadow," said Minato who was a little down.

"Let's go!"

**...**

"Grr..." the Shadow growled.

Ai reached her hand out to Minato, "I need your help, Arisato!"

"...!"

**Minato suddenly remembers what Yuko told him and he hesitated to hold Ai's hand.**

"......"

"Hey, what's wrong? Hold my hand, now!"

"I… can't…" he said in shock.

"Grrr..." the Shadow growled and attacked Ai.

"Kyaa!!!"

"I-Ishigami!"

**Both the Shadow and Ai disappear. **

"No… I-Ishigami…?"

"Long time no see. I'm so jealous. You guys get to have so much fun while I slave away at new schemes. I'm even working today."

**Chidori appeared with a familiar face from not long ago.**

"We're working, too ya know?"

"...You, from the ice cream shop!"

"Haha, that's right! I never thought it would be so easy to fool you!" Yuko said while laughing evilly.

"So, everything you told me earlier was…"

"It was just a lie! I made it all up!"

"Ack! How stupid can I be?!" Minato was mad at himself.

"You're so innocent; I like you even more, now. Too bad we can never be together..." Chidori said with a evil smile.

"What did you do to Ishigami?!"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Leon, the lion. HAHA!!!"

"I'm seriously tired of hearing you talk. I'll just seal your lips closed!"

"Huh?! M-Mezame?!"

**It was Mezame, the Metis look-a-like.**

"You took her back to headquarters so you could restore her original personality, right?" she asked with a serious smile.

"Don't say any more or I'll kill you myself..." threatened Chidori.

"Is that so? Wanna try me?"

"You ran away during our last fight. So, you have no right to talk to me like that!"

"I didn't run away. I was hiding so I could destroy you!" said Mezame who was getting mad.

"But still, it's too late now. Athena's personality is already back to normal. She's a lethal weapon again... Let's go, Yuko."

**Chidori and Yuko both disappear in a bright light. **

"No… She got away again..."

"Mezame, what's going on? I have no clue what just happened..."

Mezame glared at Minato, "It's your fault! Why didn't you power up her Persona abilities earlier? You just had to hold her hand!"

"……" Minato just looked down.

"...Shoot, I have to go to Strega's headquarters to get Ai back," she said while leaving the building.

"Hey, I'm going with you!" Minato said.

"First, you doubted her, now you want to come? You want to save a girl you can't even trust?!" Mezame was getting extremely frustrated.

Minato knelt on the ground, "I'm sorry! I was stupid. But, it won't do any good to apologize to you. That's why I have to help you save her...!"

"......" Mezame just looked at Minato.

"Please...!" he continued begging.

"Alright. Their headquarters is right below the Seaside Park. There's an entrance through the forest," she said with an annoyed look on her face.

"Thanks, let's go!!!"

… **Continue to Part 2.**

* * *

Author's note: Ah, well. Let's move on to Part 2…


End file.
